Weight Loss Tips and Reviews

Everyone remembers the Food Pyramid that was published by the government.  It has recently changed but not a lot.  The new guidelines regarding nutrition are very similar to the old one.  The graphic changes are just more specific to what the guidelines are actually saying.   

The rainbow itself has changed as there are now brightly colored vertical strips, each one representing one of the six food groups. They are wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, and are simply saying that not all foods in a certain group have the same value.  An example of this is pork and chicken are both in the same category but each have a different nutritional value and different calorie count.  These groups are divided as follows:  

 Orange which is the widest is grains

Green is for vegetables

Red is for fruits

Yellow is for oils - this is the smallest stripe on the pyramid

Blue is for milk and most foods made from milk

Purple is for meats and beans.

If you are confused by what the pyramid is telling you, give it time!  Start out with a few healthy choices at a time and eventually you can make it to the top of the food pyramid.  This means you are eating more fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean meats and beans, and less junk food.

Eating right can vary from person to person.  Not everyone needs the same amount of food.  Just because one eating plan works for you, doesn’t mean it will work for your spouse or your child.  We all have different requirements, just like overweight people and those underweight as well.  

The new pyramid can be found at www.mypyramid.gov.  It also provides tools to help you figure out which eating plan will be right for you.  Just go to www.mypyramidtracker.gov and it will help you calculate what you need to eat.  Unlike the old pyramid that only suggested foods for you to eat, but never gave you the appropriate amount, the new pyramid labels it out for your convenience.  

 The take away message here is that with the new pyramid it is geared more towards to helping you make the right food choices for your lifestyle.  Picking or choosing the foods that are packed with nutrients.  It also helps to remind us that just changing the way we eat is not all that is needed for a healthy lifestyle.  Portion control is just as important.  Watching that we don’t over estimate what a serving should be, and that we need to exercise or at least increase our physical activity.  Exercise or physical activity is important in weight loss and together are required for good health and the prevention of disease.   Changing your routine just a little can make a difference in your physical activity, for example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking farther from the entrance of the grocery store to increase your walking time.  You don’t have to be extravagant or go over board and start out small why even household chores are physical activity and are easy ways to exercise.   

Remember to think before you bite or swallow, making healthier choices can be a better way to a longer life.